The Wolverines executed against what the Sherman defense gave them, earning a corner-three look, but when that didn’t land, senior Grant Beadle fought for one last chance.

Beadle wrestled away the rebound and put up the contested shot and was fouled as time expired. However, the two free-throw attempts didn’t fall and Sherman hung on for the 58-57 victory.

“They got out there and played it a little higher and more aggressive than I thought they were going to,” Westfield head coach Nolan Swanson said about the Sherman defense. “Our guys had a little more trouble with the screens we were trying to set, but we got a look at the bucket. We knew they were probably doubled down on Grant, so we had a shot over there and he got the rebound. The game is a 32-minute game, it’s not a 10-second game. There were other things that didn’t go well in the entirety of the game. I hate to have it come down to that at the end. It’s tough to take.”

In the final minutes of the game, the two Division 2 foes traded the lead frequently, and just under the final minute Sherman had its final look to regain the lead.

Westfield’s Grant Beadle is fouled by Sherman’s Troy Chambers as he attempts a game-winning shot at the end of the fourth quarter of Friday’s CCAA Division 2 boys basketball game in Sherman. P-J photo by Christian Storms

“It wasn’t anything much different than normal,” Sherman head coach Cory Emory said about the Wildcats’ final possession. “We said we’ve got to get No. 35, Jacob Ferranto, a touch. It didn’t mean he had to score, but it had to be a touch and he had been settling a little bit in that fourth quarter and we said you can’t settle.”

Ferranto took the advice from Emory and worked his way to the basket. Being guarded by Beadle, who had already accumulated four fouls, Ferranto was able to muscle his way to the rim and the 58-57 lead.

“He just works so hard on his game,” Emory said about Ferranto. “I’m just proud that now in his senior year it’s starting to blossom in and outside — obviously his bread is buttered on the inside near the hoop — but he also has expanded his game a little bit. I’m just proud of him and happy for him.”

Ferranto finished with a game-high 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double. His best quarter was the second when he was able to show his athleticism going up and down the floor in transition with steals and rebounds translating to 10 points.

The Wildcats controlled much of the first half, but Westfield was able to hit big shots when it needed it, including four different players hitting a 3-pointer.

Westfield’s deficit did not last long into the second half, and big quarters from Beadle and Braylon Swanson yielded a 47-46 lead with a period to play. Sherman kept up with the Westfield duo, thanks to Cal Cook scoring 11 of his 22 points in the third quarter, including hitting 3 of his 5 3-pointers.

“That’s just two well, evenly matched teams,” Emory added. “It was like we were trying to match each other. One team would hit a couple and then all of a sudden momentum would swing and the other team would hit a couple. … It was a great game that felt more playoff-like.”

However, Beadle who had amassed 16 points in the first three quarters found himself in foul trouble and Westfield would need others to pick up the scoring to keep the game close.

The Wolverines were held to their lowest scoring quarter in the fourth with Beadle watching, but Swanson and company did their best to keep the win within reach.

“It’s hard, we’re so used to having him in there,” Swanson said about Beadle. “I thought our guys that went in there and played in the middle did an awesome job. We responded really well, I had a kid that only gets a few minutes a game come in during the second quarter and Sherman didn’t get a point. Then, when he was out in the third quarter, Nolan Anderson played the middle real well.”

While Westfield (7-6, 4-2) didn’t get the bounce for the win, Beadle finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and three assists. Braylon Swanson led the squad in scoring with 20 points and two steals, Logan Baum grabbed eight rebounds and made three assists, Brayden Paddock had four steals and Lincoln Thomas collected three assists and had a block.

Sherman (8-1, 3-1) will look to keep its momentum going with a rematch against Division 2 leader Clymer on Tuesday. The Pirates gave the Wildcats their only loss this season 43-35.

WESTFIELD (57)

Paddock 2 0 6, Baum 1 0 2, Stein 0 0 0, Tuah 0 0 0, Swanson 7 3 20, Thomas 2 0 5, Anderson 2 1 6, Wells 0 0 0, Beadle 7 4 18, Totals 21 8 57.

SHERMAN (58)

Kopta 2 0 5, Cook 8 1 22, Chambers 0 2 2, Goree 1 0 2, Persons 1 0 2, RJohnson 0 2 2, Ferranto 9 5 23, Totals 21 10 58.

3-point goals — Paddock 2, Swanson 3, Thomas, Anderson, Kopta, Cook 5.

Westfield 12 15 20 10 — 57

Sherman 14 15 17 12 — 58